Threshing-machine.



J. B. MCGUTCHEGN. THRESHING MACHINE.

PATENTBD MAR. 24, 1963.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 3| 1902` N0 MODELL .may

NiTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN B. MCCUTCHEON, CF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO NICHOLS da SHEPARD COMPANY, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN.

THRESHING-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent N o. 723,711, dated March 24, 1903.

Application tiled February 3, 1,902. Serial No. 92,389. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. McCUToHEoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and `upon the discharge of the material from the concave, and to that extent relieve the remainder of the machine and the mechanism thereof, thus effecting a saving in the power necessary to drive the machine and more thoroughly separating the kernels, straw, and chaff.

In order to attain the desired result, a steeply-inclined traveling endless grate is arranged immediately behind the cylinder and in close proximity to the sweep of the cylinder-teeth, such grate constituting, in effect,

an extension of the concave, while behind the grate is located achecking and directing plate which extends downwardly from a line adjacent to the upper end of the grate. grate deiiects and uplifts the straw, but not the flying kernels, the latter passing through the grate and impinging against the checking and directing plate, which intercepts vthem and causes them to fall into the underlying grain-pan, while the straw is carried upward by the traveling grate and delivered to the separating mechanism. The traveling grate constitutes in itself a straw-carrier and acts to rapidly advance the straw immediately upon its discharge from the concave, thus 0bviating the tendency for the material to accumulate upon an extended stationary grate and interfere with the continuity and smoothness of operation of the machine.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construc- The tion, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section through a sufficient portion of a threshing-machine toillustrate the application of the present improvement thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a checking and directing plate. Fig. 3 is an enlarged` detail section through the forward run of a traveling endless grate. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section, showing'the guard-strips orprotectors for the sprocketchains.

Similar numerals of reference designate correspond-in g parts in all the figu res of the drawlugs.

The improvements contemplated in this invention are designed with special reference to a cylinder and concave threshing machine of the ordinarytype, in which there is employed a threshing-cylinder l0, provided with the usual cylinder-teeth 1l and operating above and in conjunction with a concave 12, also provided with teeth '13 and having a portion thereof slotted or grated, as shown in 14. Beneath the cylinder and concave is arranged an oscillatory grain-pan 15, swung upon supporting-links 16. Above the grainpan and-in rear of the cylinder and concave I have shown the first and initial straw carrier or shaker section 17 swung upon supporting-links 18, so that it may be oscillated lengthwise. i

In carrying out the present invention a traveling endless grate 19 is arranged behind the cylinder l0, as shown in Fig. l, said endless grate being steeply inclined in close proximity to the sweep of the cylinderteeth.

This traveling endless grate is in the form of an open slotted apron consisting, essentially, of parallel bands connected by cross slats or lags. In order to render the said grate durable, it is preferably composed of a pair of sprocket-chains 20, each of which runs around sprocket-wheels 2l and 22 on shafts 23 and 24,'located, respectively, at the top and bottom of the grate, as shown in Fig. l. lt will be understood that each shaft 23 and 24 is provided with two sprocket-wheels, thus providing for a pair of chains which run in parallel relation to each other and at opposite sides of the machine adjacent to the inner surfaces of the sides 25 of the casing or frame of the machine. The chains 2O are connected at intervals by tubular metallic lags 26, each of which has its opposite extremities connected-with lugs 27, forming parts of certain links of the chains, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

The loose grains or kernals which are freed from the straw as it is swept by the cylinderteeth over the concave impinge against the lags 26 and are directed through the grate, or said grains may pass between the lags without touching them, the kernels in either case passing through the traveling endless grate and being intercepted by the checking and directing plate 28, which is located behind the grate and extends downward from a line adjacent to the upper end of said grate, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to prevent the 'grains or kernels from becoming lodged in the sprocket-chains and interfering with the operation of the grate, guard-strips or protectors 29 are arranged to overhang said chains, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4E. These strips are for convenienc'e supported by and connected with the sides 25 of the casing, extending inward therefrom over the chains 20, as shown in Fig. 4, and having their exposed surfaces inclined or made to slope inward, so that the kernels which impinge against said strips will be directed against or through the grate.

Above the grate 19 is arranged a beater 30 for urging the straw over the top of the grate and upon the adjacent straw carrier or shaker section, while between said beater and cylinder is arranged a guard-board 31, extending transversely across the machine.

The checking and directing plate is provided on its forward face with a series ot' defiecting-slats 32, pitched at an inclination, so as to defiect the dying kernels and direct the same downward into the grain-pan 15. The inner edges of the slats 32 are set at a sufficient distance from the checking and directing plate to leave spaces 32, which permit. the downward escape of grain from the pockets formed by the-slats and the directing-` plate 28.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the traveling endless grate intercepts, detlects, and uplifrs the straw as it is swept ofl the concave. The said grate, however, does not intercept the dying kernels, which are permitted to pass through the grate and im pinge against the checking and directing plate 2S. lhis plate intercepts the iying kernels, which are thereby directed downward into the grain-pan. Thus at the very outstart a considerable quantity of the kernels is immediately separated from the straw, and to that extent the remainder of the machine and its mechanism is relieved,

thereby eiiecting a saving in the driving and power of the machine and also effecting a more thorough separation between the kernels, straw, and chaff. The traveling endless grate forms, in effect, a moving extension or continuation of the concave, said grate being inclined steeply from the rear end of the concave proper upward in close proximity tothe sweep ot the cylinder-teeth. Not only does said grate intercept the straw, but it moves the straw upward, and thus avoids any possible accumulation of straw, which when a stationary grate is employed is apt to temporarily clog the machine and interfere with the continuity and smoothness of operation.

I do not wish to be restricted to any special construction of the traveling endless grate, the drawings merely showing the preferred embodiment of that feature of the invention, nor do I desire to be limited to any special form of checking and directing plate, the inclined detlecting-slats, for example, not being essentialtothepresentinvention. Theseand other changes may be resorted to without departing from the principle of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a toothed cylinder, a concave comprising a concave portion, a stationary grate extension concentric with and forming part of the concave, and a travcling endless grate forming a tangential eX- tension of the concave and stationary grate and steeply inclined in close proximity to the sweep ot' the cylinder-teeth so that the cylin der and traveling grate coperate to elevate the straw while said traveling grate permits the flying kernels to pass therethrough, a beater arranged in proximity to the upper portion of the traveling grate, and means behind the grate forchecking the flying kernels and directing the same downwardly.

2. The combination of a toothed cylinder,` a concave comprising a concave portion, a stationary grate extension concentric with and vforming part of the concave, and a traveling endless grate forming a tangential extension of the concave and stationary grate and steeply inclined in close proximity to the sweep of the cylinder-teeth so that the cylinder andv traveling grate cooperate to elevate the straw while said traveling grate permits the dying kernels to pass therethrough, and a stationary checking and directing plate extending vertically downward from a line adjacent to the upper edge of said traveling grate.

In testimony whereof I-allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. MCCUTCIIEON. Witnesses:

CHESTER P. ALDRICH, F. O. SMITH.

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